Beech C 99 accident near Durango, Colorado, January 24, 2017
On January 24, 2017 at about 2:00 am local time, a 1983 Beech C 99, registered N216CS, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Durango, Colorado (Durango-La Plata County airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inability to maintain directional control during takeoff in crosswind conditions on a contaminated runway, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 24, 2017 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Durango, Colorado · Durango-La Plata County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech C 99 NO SERIES, built 1983 · all C 99s on the register
- Registration
- N216CS · registry record · serial U-216
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight crew was departing the airport in winter weather conditions. The flight crew taxied to the runway and waited as another regional jet landed and cleared the runway. The captain of that jet reported on the common traffic advisory frequency that the braking action was nil and cautioned the accident flight crew to be careful because the runway was slick. The pilot flying reported that, as they taxied onto the runway, the wind was 40° right of runway heading at 10 kts with no gusts and the runway was slick. As the airplane was on the takeoff roll passing 60 kts, the pilot noticed a rising crosswind but maintained centerline. When the airplane was passing 80 kts, the flight crew was unable to maintain the airplane's track on the centerline with full right aileron deflection. The pilot attempted to rotate and lift off, but the airplane went into deep snow on the side of the runway. The pilot then reduced power to idle before going off the left side of the runway; the nose wheel collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the nose of the airplane and both engines. The flight crew reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,430 hours in all; 158 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 2,498 as pilot in command; 1,103 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 29, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,209 hours in all; 47 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 271 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 7, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26,579.5 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, December 28, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 11,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-36 (turboprop); 25,025 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-36 (turboprop); 23,294 hours total
- Operator: Alpine Air Inc
The flight
- Departed from: DRO Durango CO
- Destination: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 9,201 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 260° at 13 knots
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; a few clouds at 300 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.64 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N216CS the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN17LA123.